The Most Influential Person in My Life

My Father,

Saying that has nothing to do with Motorcycles or Drag Racing, he did neither, I don’t think he ever rode a Motorcycle…But he had such a hard life becoming who he was that I can’t do anything but admire and love him very much…

Born in the State of Kansas when it was a time of hardship all over the Midwest, well before there was a Financial Crash, when a Dollar was worth just that and would buy Bread, Milk, and other staples that would feed you for three or four days, what made the hardship was earning that Dollar…Most jobs he had paid a Dollar a day at that time, but he continue to tough it out and feed his family…

As the years past and I grew into Manhood he taught me many things, he was an Auto Mechanic his whole life, his last years of work was for the School District repairing their School Busses…
After I became interest in Motorcycle Drag Racing he encouraged me in every thing I did at the start and through out my Career…He was so well like and known at Irwindale Raceway that when he showed up at the gate into the pits they would said to him, “Joe’s already inside go on in”…He was never charged to get in at Irwindale and he was there every day or night that I was testing or racing…He love to stand by the fence about the 1000 foot mark and would always tell me how the motor sounded when I past that point…

He’s been gone now for a long time but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of my
Pop.

Smitty, is what every one called him…

High Voltage Drag Bike

Sent to me by Aussie Baz.

-- High Voltage - Drag RacingBy,

Trevor HedgeConversation concerning electric powered vehicles is normally the domain of green groups and eco warriors but more recently there has been talk of environmentally friendly motorcycles in drag racing circles. The slightest mention of the words electric powered are normally enough to send just about any revhead into a slumber but a small group of American innovators are turning that around and leaving mouths agape wherever they go.The subject of their passion is not some sort of uninspiring electric scoot that struggles to reach 60km/h but a truly awe inspiring creation they have dubbed the ‘KillaCycle’. That aggressive name alone may not be enough to perk the interest of motorcycle enthusiasts, but mention these numbers and even the most skeptical will sit up and take notice: 0-100 in under a second and a standing quarter mile in 7.8 seconds. And no that isn’t a misprint. The Killacycle can hit 100km/h from a standstill in under a second and the only thing to be heard is some tyre and wind roar as this silent assassin disappears in to the distance. Drag strips are never going to be the same again...Denver based engineer Bill Dube’ designed and built the KillaCycle as a private project largely funded by himself although as the rate of success increases a few minor sponsors have come onboard to lend a hand. A123 Systems provided 1210 of their nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries that powered the machine to its first seven second pass last month at Pomona Raceway. The 85 kilograms of batteries hold enough charge to power the Killacycle to more than half a dozen 7 second passes. And the running costs? Around ten cents worth of electricity is all it takes to refuel the Killacycle and the latest Manzanita Micro charger has the recharge time down to five minutes. Picked your jaw up off the floor yet?While the proven 7 second potential of the Killacycle is amazing, it is still a long way from the 5.7 second world record set by Larry McBride onboard a conventional Nitromethane powered Top Fuel motorcycle. But Top Fuel motorcycles have had many decades of development, need engine rebuilds between runs and cost thousands of dollars in fuel for each race meeting and those costs are continuing to escalate. However in the field of battery power, costs continue to tumble and the rate of improvement continues to accelerate out of sight. That first 7 second pass was achieved not by a well funded major enterprise but is simply the backyard project of a guy that designs pollution measurement equipment for a living with an annual budget around $13,000 USD. That should give the drag racing fraternity a major fright and clearly signals the potential of battery vehicles should anyone put some serious money behind such a project.While the batteries used in the Killacycle are currently state of the art, the actual drive unit is a relatively archaic brushed DC motor. Effectively the KillaCycle is nothing more than a big cordless drill but you certainly can’t buy this one at Target! Plans are afoot to move to a much more modern AC motor and A123 Systems are working on the next generation of their nanophosphate cells that produce twice the amount of power per kilogram as the current Killacycle battery pack. A new frame, bigger wheelie bars and better rubber will be in order to contain the potential of the new power pack but clearly the sky is the limit for the KillaCycle. Given the resources of a regular professional Top Fuel outfit it seems only a matter of time before a battery powered drag bike will be able to run times comparable to a quality Top Fuel field and, when technology allows, perhaps even surpass their fire breathing brethren. How far away is the first battery powered GSX-R? Clearly it’s not just around the corner but that day might be closer than any of us imagine. Either way it is fantastic to see that even an end to fossil fuels will not spell the end for performance and man’s sometimes unhealthy obsession with racing.

http://www.nedra.com/

Double Norton

This is Warren Afflick from down under sitting on TC Christensen's Double Norton at Indy.

This picture was sent to me by Warren and he says he is the good looking one on the bike. That's TC on the right.

Indy 1977, Fringer and TC

Here's a cool picture of Ron Fringer (no shirt) and TC Christensen hiding behind my Tour Truck. This was 1977 Indy, the last year of my Double and Ron was Riding for me.

Picture was taken by Yours Truly.

My Grandson Mike

This has nothing to do with Motorcyles or Drag Racing, it's for my Grandson (Mike).

He build this Bug from the ground up...I can remember back a few years when he had the body pan on saw horses in the drive way making it look like it just came from the factory...You can buy all new stuff for those VW Bugs and that's what he did over a couple years putting it together from the bottom up...Has two complete motors, one stock and one all out get up and go...He still has it and babies it every time he drives it...I spent a lot of time towing it to different places in the beginning when he needed to take it to get something done he couldn't do...In the one picture you can see my Toyota pickup in the back ground, a thing I had been babying since new and got it wiped out by a DUI gal, hauled away in handcuffs, it still never replace what I lost until my Daughter and Son in Law, (Patti & Larry) gave me something even better...By the way he also did the painting, in the open, in the drive way...I couldn't believe how good it looked after he sanded it out and shot it with clear coat...You can't see it in the picture but there are sculls in the blue flames...

A Video by Miss Becky

Here's a great Video sent to me by the Aussie Bazza.
Miss Becky does great work. missbeckysid@gmail.com

http://www.truveo.com/Top-Bike-Nitro-Champs-2008/id/1065692680

Historical Double Triumph

Here is a picture sent to me by Ivy. It's Boris Murray's great Double Engine Triumph and it's in his Garage in the old days, spent many an evening there with Boris and sometimes Gordon Kately...